Elevating and tilting frame structure



March 19, 1968 A. J. VERINI 3,373,879

ELEVATING AND TILTING FRAME STRUCTURE Filed March 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet1 A A W INVENT OR ANTHONY J. VER/N/ ATTORNEY March 19, 1968 A. J. VERINI3,373,379

ELEV/{TING AND TILTING FRAME STRUCTURE Filed March 9, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INI/ENTOR ANTHONY J. VER/N/ cww ATTORNEY United States Patent Office3,373,879 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 3,373,879 ELEVATIN G AND TILTING FRAMESTRUCTURE Anthony J. Verini, 30 Lenox Ave., Greenbrook, NJ. 08812 FiledMar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 532,995 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A vertically adjustable frame structure is disclosedutilizing a pivotally mounted jack-actuated control arrangement fortilting an elevated support platform to desired sloping angles andheights. Control and linking shaft arrangements are used for controllinga pair of jacks mounted on a pivotally secured U-shaped bracket forfacilitating the platform tilting action with reduced actuating force bypersonnel and reduced frictional forces on the jacks.

This invention relates to elevating and tilting structures andparticularly to a vertically adjustable frame structure utilizing apivotally mounted jack-actuated control arrangement for tilting anelevated support platform to desired sloping angles.

It is often desirable to support heavy machines, apparatus or otherobjects on a platform at prescribed elevations and tilted positions inorder to perform certain control operations. Implicit in the design of astructure for performing such elevating and tilting functions is that itbe capable of providing precise platform heights and tilt angles withoutunduly complex control apparatus and substantial amounts of actuatingforces by operating personnel.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide simple andeconomical control facilities for precisely adjusting the heights andtilt angles of a support platform.

Another object is to provide control apparatus for precisely adjustingthe heights and tilt angles of a support platform on a structural framewith minimal actuating force supplied by personnel.

It is another object of my invention to provide elevation and tiltingcontrol devices for maintaining precise height and tilt adjustments fora support platform after the adjustments have been made.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in accordance with specificillustrative embodiments of my invention in which efiicient, simple andeconomical facilities are furnished for precisely adjusting a supportplatform to desired heights and tilt angles under control of a pluralityof jack mechanisms. Structurally, the facilities include an elevatingframe comprising a horizontally extending rectangular base element andfour vertically disposed hollow legs each of which is perpendicularlyattached to both the base member nearby an individual corner thereof andto a rectangular horizontally extending upper frame member.

A pair of jacks is mounted at opposite end segments of the upper framemember whereby each of the jacks is located proximate to an individualone of each of the frame corners. Each pair of the jacks comprises athreaded screw which is telescopically cooperative with an individualone of the hollow legs. Moreover, each pair of the jacks at the sameframe end is coupled together by a linking shaft for concurrentactuation. The jacks at opposite ends of the upper frame member are alsolinked together by a chain arrangement which enables a person tointerfit a crank handle with a control shaft of any one of the jacks andthen to rotate it for uniformly and concurrently raising or lowering thethreaded screws of each of the jacks.

Each of the latter screws is rigidly attached on its upper end to anindividual corner section of an intermediate rectangular support device.According to an aspect of my invention, the latter device extendshorizontally substan tially parallel to the upper frame member andcomprises a pillow block element and a swivel pin arrangement on each ofits side sections for pivotally mounting a U- shaped bracket. A pair oftilting jacks are rigidly secured to the U bracket and are connectabletogether for jointly raising or lowering their respective threadedscrews when a crank handle is interfitted with the control drive shaftof one of the tilting jacks and is rotated. The upwardly projecting endsegments. of the threaded screws of the tilting jacks are pivotallyconnected to first end segments of a top supporting platform whichsupports a machine or other object. The pivotal connection is made foreach such threaded screw by means including a hinge on the platform anda block member on the threaded screw together with a swivel pin insertedthnough apeirtures in the hinge and block member. A pair of hinges isrigidly afiixed on the supporting device at the end opposite to thetilting jack for pivotally mounting second end segments of thesupporting platform. Accordingly, a crank handle interfitted with thecontrol shaft of any one of the tilting jacks may be rotated for movingthe support platform and the object secured thereto in an are about ahorizontal plane parallel to that of the support device and with areference point defined by the swivel arrangement at the aforementionedsecond end segments of the supporting platform.

During such a tilting movement, the block members secured to the upperends of the threaded screws of the tilting jacks are pivoted about theassociated swivel pins and hinges and the U bracket pivots about theassociated swivel pins and pillow blocks. These pivotal arrangementsfacilitate the tilting action with minimal actuating force by personneland reduce frictional forces on the tilting 'acks. J The foregoing andother objects, features and advantages of my invention will be moreclearly understood from a reading of the following description ofillustrative embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elevating frame structure employing ajack-actuated tilting arrangement in accordanc with a specificillustrative embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed sectional view of certain structural elementsdepicted in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a swivel mechanism utilized for thetilting arrangement.

Referring to 'FIG. 1, the exemplary elevating frame structure includes arectangular, horizontally-extending base element I mounted on casters 2and 3 to facilitate the movement of the frame and tilting arrangement.Four vertically disposed hollow legs 4, '5, 6 and 7 are affixed to thebase 1 proximate to an individual one of the four corners thereof. Eachof the legs 4, 5, =6 and 7 projects upwardly and perpendicular from base1 toward a rectangular frame member 8.

Member 8 extends horizontally in a plane substantially parallel to thebase 1 and supports a pair of jack iassem blies 9 and 10 each of whichis rigidly mounted at an opposite end of member 8 in a cooperatingrelationship with a pair of legs 4 and 5 or 6 and 7. Each of theassemblies v9 and 10 comprises a pair of jack mechanisms (not shown indetail) each of which has a threaded screw element 11, 12, 13 or 14telescopically cooperative with an individual one of the legs 4, 5, 6 or7, respectively, and affixed to a lower surface of a rectangular,horizontally-extending support device 15.

A drive mechanism including a linking chain 16 and tensioning sprockets17 and 18 is utilized in the elevating frame structure to driveconcurrently all of the threaded screws 11, 12, 1'3 and 14 for raisingand lowering the supporting device 15. The drive mechanism, as explainedhereinafter, links all four of the jacks of the assemblies 9 and 10 andis operated under control of a crank handle 19. The latter is adapted tobe inserted through one of the assembly apertures or 21 for interfittingwith a control shaft 22 or 23 of an associated one of the jacks ofassemblies 9 or 10. Control shafts (not shown) of each of the jacks ofassemblies 9 and 10 associated with the threaded screws 11 and 13 may beselectively engaged, or interfitted, with the crank handle 19 viaapertures (not shown) in the assemblies 9 and 10 at the opposite endsthereof with respect to apertures 20 and 21. Accordingly, my arrangementadvantageously enables the supporting device 15 to be vertically raisedor lowered by the concurrent driving of the screws 11, 12, 13 and 14under control of the rotation of the crank handle interfitted at any oneof the four corners of the elevating frame structure with an associatedone of the jacks of assemblies 9 and 10.

A rectangular platform device 24 having an L shaped cross-section ispivotally mounted near one of its ends to the supporting device 15 by apivot means including a pair of pivot pins 25 and 26 secured to sidesegments 27 and 28 of platform 24, and a pair of hinge members 29 and 30rigidly affixed at prescribed locations on end segment 31 of device 15.Each of the hinge members 29 and 30 includes an aperture, such asaperture .32, to cooperate with an individual one of the pivot pins 25or 26 for the pivotal movement of platform 24.

In accordance with an aspect of my invention, the illustrative platform24 is tilt-able, or movable, in an are from a horizontal plane parallelto that of the supporting device 15 under the control of a pair of jacks33 and 34. As is best depicted in FIG. 2, the jacks 33 and 34 comprisethreaded screw members 35 and 36 having upper swivel block elements 37and 38, respectively. Each of the blocks 37 and 38 includes a pivot pin,such as pin 39, for cooperating with a member having an aperture, suchas aperture 40, in an individual one of a pair of hinge elements 41 and42 affixed to the underside members 43 and 44, respectively, of platform24. Jacks 33 and 34 each include a hollow sleeve member 45 or 46 fortelescopically cooperating with the associated threaded screw 35 or 36,respectively. Advantageously, the illustrative embodiment of myinvention depicts the jacks 33 and 34 as coupled together by a linkingshaft 47 for the simultaneous actuation of screws 35 and 36.

Each of the jacks 33 and 34 is affixed to a U shaped bracket 48 with thesleeve members 45 and 46 extending through individual apertures (notshown) in bracket 48. According to another aspect of my invention, thebracket 48 comprises end members 49 and 50 each of which includes anaperture, such as aperture 51, for the pivotal mounting of bracket 48onto pivot pins 52 and 53 on the pillow block members 54 and 55 rigidlysecured to the under-surface of the side members 56 and '57,respectively, of the supporting device 15 facing the base element 1 ofFIG. 1. Bracket 48 further comprises the apertures 58 and 59 in themembers 49 and 50, respectively. Each of the latter apertures is alignedfor enabling the crank handle 19 to be inserted therethrough forinterfitting with the associated control shaft '60 or 61 whereby thejacks 33 and 34 are concurrently actuatable under control of therotation of handle 19 to effect the tilting movement of platform 24.

According to my invention, the crank handle 19 when in-terfitted withthe control shaft as shown in F16. 2, is rotatable clockwise andcounterclockwise for actuating the jacks 33 and 34 whereby the threadedscrews 35 and 36 are raised or lowered for tilting the platform 24 aboutan are from a horizontal plane parallel to that of the supporting device15. Advantageously, the exemplary embodiment of my invention providestwo pivotal facilities for each of the jacks 33 and 34 whereby, when thejacks are actuated, swivel actions occur about pins 39 and 39 as thethreaded screws 35 and 3 6 are driven upward or downward by the actuatedjacks 33 and 34. The concurrent raising or lowering of screws 35 and 36also cause the U shaped bracket 48 to pivot about the swivel pins 52 and53 in an are from a perpendicular plane to that of supporting device 15and toward the direction of the legs 6 and 7.

It is within the scope of my invention to provide for the tilting of theplatform 24 in four separate upward and downward directions about ahorizontal plane of device 15. The structure utilizable for this featurecomprises the elimination of the linking shaft 47 between the jacks 33and 34 and the provision of a supplemental pair of such jacks mounted onan additional U shaped bracket corresponding to bracket 48. Thesupplemental jacks are not coupled together by a linking shaft such asone corresponding to shaft 47. The additional bracket advantageously ispivotally mountable to an additional pair of pivot pins each of whichcorresponds to a pin 52 or 53 and is associable with an individual oneof another pair of pillow block members corresponding to members 54 and55 and secured to the undersurface of the side members 56 and 57,respectively, nearby to the support element 62. Accordingly, the pivotpins 25 and 26 are to be removed from hinges 29 and 30, respectively.Moreover, each of the block members at the upper ends of the threadedscrews of the supplemental pair of jacks is pivotally connectable aboutan individual one of another pair of pins associated with another pairof hinges corresponding to hinges 41 and 42 and which is secured to theplatform 24 above the additional U shaped bracket. Consequently, each ofthe jacks 33 and 34 as well as the supplemental pair of jacks isactuatable individually under control of the crank handle interfittedwith the control shaft, such as shaft 60, to raise or lower only thethreaded screw associated with the engaged jack and thus the associatedcorner of platform 24.

FIG. 3 depicts a swivel arrangement for pivotally connecting a threadedscrew 36A about a swivel pin 39A. A swivel fastener 64 is depictedpartially in a sectional view and it comprises a contiguous threaded nut65 for interfitting with a threaded screw 36A in a fasteningrelationship. Swivel fastener 64 further comprises a circular head part66 having a slotted section member 67 complementing and axiallycooperating with the pin 39A which is fastened within a cavity 68 of a.block member 38A. The latter is rigidly affixed to an underside member44A of an L shaped frame element. Advantageously, the structuralarrangement of FIG. 3 may be utilized in the equipment of FIG. 2 forpivotally connecting a threaded screw, such as screw 35 or 36, with aswivel pin, such as pin 39, in a swivel block member, such as member 37or 38, affixed to the underside member 43 or 44 of platform 24.

The pair of jacks in each of the assemblies 9 and 10 may advantageouslycomprise essentially the same mechanical structure as for the jacks 33and 34. To elaborate, the assembly jacks may be coupled together by alinking shaft similar to the shaft 47 and may further comprise controlshafts, such as shafts 22 and 23 for controlling in conjunction withcrank handle 19 the raising and lowering of the respective threadedscrews 11, 12, 13 and 14. In addition, each of the control shafts of theassembly jacks may have mounted thereon a driving sprocket cooperatingwith a chain, such as chain 16, and a drive sprocket on the controlshaft of the jack at the opposite end of the support device 15 forcontrolling with the handle 19 the concurrent raising and lowering ofthe screws 11, 12, 13 and 14. Thus, the apparatus in assemblies 9 and 10including the jack linking shafts, sprockets and chain arrangements mayadvantageously comprise the. aforementioned driving mechanism.Furthermore, the upper block element (not shown) of each of the screws11, 12, 13 and 14 is rigidly aflixed to the associated one of thesupport elements 62 and 63 of device 15 Jacks 33 and 34 as well as thejacks of assemblies 9 and may advantageously comprise commerciallyavailable JACIUATOR devices marketed by the Duff-Norton Company ofCharlotte, North Carolina.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention disclosed in FIG. 1, theplatform 24 comprises L shaped angle sections including the sidesegments 27 and 28 for supporting the plate elements 69 and 70 as wellas the bar members 71 and 72. The latter elements and members areutilized for supporting a load structure on the platform 24.Alternatively, a continuous surface top member may be supported by the Lshaped angle sections to form a top of a tiltable table.

It is to be understood that the hereinbefore described arrangements areillustrative of the application of the principles of my invention. Inlight of my teaching, it is apparent that numerous other arrangementsmay be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination,

a frame structure including a horizontally extending support device,

a bracket means,

first swivel means pivotally mounting said bracket means on said frame,

a platform member,

second swivel means pivotally mounting said platform member on saidsupporting device,

tilting jack means rigidly secured to said bracket means and includingelevating means and apparatus for pivotally connecting said elevatingmeans to said platform member,

said jack means being operative to actuate said elevating means fortilting said platform member with respect to said supporting device,

and said firs-t and second swivel means being responsive to theactuation of said elevating means for pivoting said bracket means andsaid platform member on said supporting device, wherein said tiltingjack means comprises a pair of jack mechanisms secured to said bracketmeans,

said elevating means includes an individual threaded screw arrangementof each of said mechanisms,

said apparatus includes an individual swivel means for each ofmechanisms and comprising a coupling member affixed to an upper endsegment of said threaded screw of said mechanism, a hinge means securedto said platform member and a pin member element interfitted with saidcoupling member and said hinge means for pivotal movement of saidcoupling mem ber on said pin element in response to the actuation ofsaid threaded screw elevating means of the same mechanism,

further comprising a shaft linking said pair of jack mechanisms,

and wherein each of said jack mechanisms includes a contral shaftrotatable for operating its jack mechanism and said linking shaft,

said bracket means comprises members each having apertures associatedwith an individual one of said control shafts,

and further comprising means projectable through any one of saidapertures to interfit with said associated control shaft for therotation of said last-mentioned shaft whereby said jack mechanisms areconcurrently operative under control of said linking shaft for actuatingeach of said screw elevating means to tilt said platform member.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said framestructure further includes a horizontally extending frame member,

a plurality of elevating jack mechanisms mounted at opposite endsegments of said frame member and each having a threaded screw affixedto said supporting device and a control shaft rotatable for actuatingthe elevating jack mechanism for selectively raising and lowering saidthreaded screw thereof and in turn said aflixed supporting device.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plurality ofelevating jack mechanisms comprises a pair of elevating jack mechanismsmounted at each opposite end segment of said frame member,

and further comprising a plurality of coupling shafts and each of saidlast-mentioned shafts coupling together said pair of said elevatingmechanisms at the same end segment of said frame, and a chain drivearrangement cooperating with the control shafts of each of saidelevating mechanisms for linking each of said last-mentioned mechanismstogether and being responsive to the rotation of the control shaft ofany of said elevating jack mechanisms for cooperating with said couplingshafts concurrently to operate each of said elevating jack mechanismswhereby said threaded screws thereof simultaneously are selectivelyraised and lowered.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein said framestructure further includes a horizontally extending base element,

a plurality of vertically disposed hollow legs each projecting upwardlyfrom said base element to said frame member and being attached to saidbase element and said frame member,

and each of said threaded screws of said elevating jack mechanisms beingaligned for telescopically cooperating with an individual one of saidlegs.

5. An elevating and tilting structure comprising a horizontallyextending base element,

a horizontally extending upper frame member,

a plurality of vertically disposed hollow leg devices each projectingupwardly from said base element to said frame member and being attachedto said base element and frame member,

a pair of jacks mounted at each of the opposite end segments of saidframe member and each of said jacks having a threaded screwtelescopically cooperative with an individual one of said leg devices,

a plurality of linking shafts, each of said shafts linking an individualpair of said jacks at the same end segment of said frame member,

a chain drive arrangement linking each of said jacks together forconcurrent actuation of said jacks, each of said jacks further havingacontrol shaft being rotatable for actuating the associated jack to drivesaid linking shafts and chain arrangement and thereby concurrently toactuate each of said jacks for simultaneously raising and lowering eachof said threaded screws,

an intermediate support device extending horizontally substantiallyparallel to said upper frame member and being attached to upper endsegments of said threaded screws for elevation movement under control ofthe raising and lowering of said screws,

said support device having side elements each of which includes a pillowblock member and pivot pin arrangement,

a U-shaped bracket device pivotally associated with each of said pivotpin arrangements,

hinge means secured to an end section of said intermediate supportdevice,

a top support platform including pin means cooperating said said hingemeans for pivotal movement of said platform and a pair of swivel hingedevices,

a pair of tilting jacks rigidly secured to said bracket device and eachof said tilting jacks including a threaded screw having an upper blockmember and a swivel pin arrangement pivotally cooperative with one ofsaid pair of swivel hinge devices,

a shaft coupling said tilting jacks together for concurrent actuationthereof,

and each of said tilting jacks further including a control shaft beingrotatable for actuating the associated jack to drive said coupling shaftand thereby concurrently to actuate each of said tilting jacks forsimultaneously raising and lowering each of said screws of said tiltingjacks whereby said block member and swivel pin arrangements pivotallycooperate with said hinge devices and said bracket device pivotallycooperates with said pillow block member and pivot pin arrangements thusto move said platform in an are from the horizontal plane of saidsupport device about said pivotally cooperating pivot hinge means andsaid pin means.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1923 Italy. 10/1962 Italy.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

15 F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

